Software application operation depends on efficient computing resource usage. Hence, supporting data storage and processing mechanisms are needed for facilitating a positive user experience.
Such software applications include database applications that access an enterprise's internal database comprising structured data records (e.g., table data). The database applications are built on a development platform for a database management system. When a user communicates a database query, a database application accesses the internal database and (ordinarily) provides a response comprising table data that matches the database query.
In addition to internal data, users sometimes want to access data from an external data source or sources, such as to view such data along with retrieved internal database data. In order to do so, an application (data source provider) needs to be developed that understands how to communicate with each external source, e.g., its authentication model, communication protocols (connection strings) and/or any other information such as billing requirements. Developing such an application is beyond the ability and/or too time consuming for a typical query author who generally just wants to analyze the data.